


so easy

by readeption



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-28
Updated: 2016-12-28
Packaged: 2018-09-12 23:53:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9096115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/readeption/pseuds/readeption
Summary: The Dragonborn is charitable. Athis tries to understand.





	

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this, during a power-cut, as a self-prompt from the rupi kaur poem below. it's from her book 'milk and honey'. hope you enjoy.

_how is it so easy for you  
to be so kind to people _ he asked

milk and honey dripped  
from my lips as i answered

_cause people have not  
been kind to me_

 

* * *

 

Athis watched from the wall outside Jorrvaskr. Hyaline was walking down from Dragonsreach, her loose-limbed body all but fluttering down the steps. She moved across the paving around the Gildergreen, her eye on something. Athis peered through the leaves. She was sat beside a child, a small blonde girl whom Athis had glimpsed around town several times already. They could not be mother and daughter: Dunmer did not grow flaxen hair.

After a short time, Hyaline clutched the girl's hand in her own and led her down to the market. Athis craned his head, and saw them walking towards the Bannered Mare.

He remembered he had come out here to eat an apple.

As he licked his fingers afterwards, he saw a glimpse of hide from the corner of his eye. Hyaline had left the Bannered Mare and was walking through the Plains District alone, grey skin smooth and exposed. The armour was ceremonial, Athis knew, not real protection. Something about it being the first set she'd ever gotten upon leaving Windhelm, caught together by wolves she'd skinned on the road. It was a sign of deference to the Jarl, too; one of modesty and peace. When she was with the Companions she wore scaled armour like Ria's - the two were good friends - and when she was clearing caves she wore black, black leather: Athis had seen her leaving in it and sometimes, against himself, wished she would take him with her: he visualised her standing before him, spattered in the blood of her enemies, like some dark goddess. But Hyaline did not quite fit that mold. He knew that much. He knew little else.

She had vanished from his sight. Athis dropped the apple core on the ground; it rolled into the gutter and bobbed pale and gentle. He went back into Jorrvaskr.

 

* * *

 

 Hyaline returned to Jorrvaskr a week later, slightly windswept. She sat down next to Ria and began to eat slowly.

Njada pinched him. 'Hey, lover boy,' she said.

'What,' spat Athis.

'Thought I'd go and hunt a giant,' said Njada, 'out at Secunda's Kiss.'

'Long walk,' said Athis. He took a gulp of his ale - it had nothing on mazte - and finally tore his eyes from Hyaline. She was in deep conversation with Ria, and only looked upon him when he looked away.

'Are you in?'

'Sure.'

 

* * *

 

There were two giants. Athis shot one, but the arrow was like a toothpick, and he did _not_ like the look of those mammoth tusks.

'I don't know about you,' said Njada breathlessly to him as the ground shook, 'but I'm going to run.'

'Right behind you,' gasped Athis.

 

Several minutes later, with restored respiratory faculties, they came upon Hyaline in the road. She was in her black leathers and was not - as Athis had almost invariably seen her - alone. A man was with her, in garb as threatening as hers. War paint smeared her cheekbones. Athis was struck dumb.

'Hello,' said Hyaline. The man stood just behind her, a black, gleaming warhammer on his back. 'Njada. Athis.' She looked at him.

Athis said, 'Is that ebony?'

There was a second of intense bemusement on the part of everyone present - except for Athis, who was kicking himself - and then the man realised Athis was speaking to him. 'Yes,' he said gruffly, and drew it. It hung heavy from his large hands.

'I bought it for him in Markarth,' said Hyaline.

'You don't go to Eorlund...?' said Athis, again without thinking. She looked at him with restrained disbelief.

'Eorlund does steel,' she said. Athis could feel Njada's amusement radiating into the crisp air. He was glad that blushes in Dunmer were not obvious to foreigners. But it would be to Hyaline.

'We have somewhere to be,' said Hyaline at length.

'Yes -' said Athis - 'sorry.' He and Njada stepped to opposite sides of the westbound Hyaline and her partner. Athis walked very quickly back to Jorrvaskr, and if he had not been so anguished he might have felt grateful for Njada's silence on the incident.

 

* * *

 

He realised the blonde child wasn't around so much in the daytime. Had Hyaline put her up in the Bannered Mare? How costly.

He could not even try to ask. Hyaline did not reappear for a fortnight.

He was outside eating an apple again when she did. He had gone up to two a day in the hopes of catching her. It was doing wonders for his digestion.

She walked past - hide armour. Athis hopped down quickly from his perch, and the movement caught her eye.

'Hyaline,' he said.

She raised her eyebrows. 'Athis.'

'Where - where are you going today?'

She nodded up to Dragonsreach. 'To see the steward.'

'Oh - what about?' Athis asked. He stepped closer.

'Collecting three bounties,' said Hyaline.

'What, for that girl at the Mare?' It came out snide - Athis had not meant it to. Azura take him.

Hyaline's face hardened. 'Yes,' she said.

They kept looking at each other.

'I have to get on,' said Hyaline, and it was gentle but still the coolest Athis had ever heard her voice.

'Would you -'

'Yes?'

'Would you have a drink with me there later?' he asked. 'I'd - I'd love to hear about your battles.'

'My battles,' said Hyaline. She considered. 'Alright,' she said. 'I'll be back down shortly. Can you wait?'

'Yes,' Athis said quickly.

She smiled at him. He watched her walk away.

 

They sat down in the Bannered Mare, and she told him as he raptly listened of her victories at Bloated Man's Grotto, Redoran's Retreat and the Silent Moons Camp.

'You're protecting Whiterun,' he said. She nodded.

Hyaline wished she could say to him, _I saved it from a dragon, once. What's a few bandit chiefs?_

'Are you protecting its children, too?'

Hyaline said finally, 'Lucia has no family. I have paid for her to stay here a month and am going to pay for her to stay another. And then I will go to Riften and install her at Honorhall Orphanage.'

'Where that old woman died?'

Hyaline looked away. 'The new one is better,' she said. 'Lucia will have a good upbringing there. And when she is sixteen, I will see what she wishes to become and help her on the way there.'

Hyaline was not using many words but Athis could only imagine the magnitude of her deed in Lucia's life.

'Do you do this with every orphan you come across?' he asked.

'I am happy to say I have not come across many. But it is my established procedure, yes.'

'It's very charitable,' said Athis. 'Very kind.'

She thanked him.

'Why do you do it?' asked Athis. 

'It's what I needed,' said Hyaline.

Athis swallowed. 'I'm sorry,' he said. In his long musings on her he had formed suspicions - Dunmer from Windhelm eager to set down roots elsewhere - but he had not asked anyone. It seemed, from the way she watched his reaction, that she had not told anyone either.

'I turned out alright,' she said.

'You did,' said Athis.

'I hope they will too,' she said.

'The man I saw you with,' said Athis, and Hyaline's face did not change, 'who was he?' He expected a paroxysm of fear, that he had ruined everything. Her reaction didn't quite support that.

'Argis,' she sighed. 'My housecarl.'

'I thought Lydia was your housecarl.'

'I am Thane of the Reach as well,' she said gently, unfazed by his knowledge of her. 'Don't worry: I like it here much better.'

'Why?'

'Wouldn't you? Wouldn't anyone?' she said, and then she paused and smirked. 'There are no squirming mer of my own kind in Markarth. No one I can see blush and hear teased. It's very flattering, Athis.'

He swallowed. 'You know,' he said. He wished he could look instead at the candle, at the bar, but her eyes just gazed at him gently, the way a lover's might.

'I am not blind, sera,' she said. 'I know love when I see it, when I feel it.' The word pierced him like an arrow. 'I would like to get to know you better, Athis,' said Hyaline. 'Away from Jorrvaskr.'

'I would like that too,' said Athis.

He stood beside her as she paid for Lucia's lodgings, and they left the Mare together.

 

**Author's Note:**

> AU where Secunda's Kiss has mammoths


End file.
